Chinese Cabbage Salad

I saw this on Pinterest (http://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/08/chinese-cabbage-salad/), and it was similar to a recipe I got from a friend years ago, so I gave it a try. (I'll include the first version as a variation at the end.) It's Gary's and Hans' favorite.  This is slightly different than the site I've listed, as I go ahead with the peanut butter even if I have peanut oil. We just like the flavor.

Time: 40 minutes            Yield: 15 servings

2 1/2 pounds nappa cabbage

5 green onions

3 packages ramen noodles, chicken flavor if you use the variation recipe

1/2 C butter

1/4 C sliced almonds

1/4 C sesame seeds

Dressing:

3 T peanut butter + peanut or canola oil to equal 3/4 C

1/2 C sugar

1/4 C rice vinegar

2 T soy sauce

Cut the tail end off of your cabbage and toss it in the trash. Thinly slice the rest of the cabbage and place it into a large bowl. (NOTE: This is actually the way to chaos. Start at the opposite end, slice the cabbage off the stem in thin slices. The stem holds it all together. I don't know about you, but my hands are not large enough to hold that thing together once it comes off the thing that holds it together AND still slice through it with a large knife. So just slice it until you're about 3 inches from the end, where the leaves are really thick, and then throw the end away. This is the voice of experience.)

Slice your green onions and add them to your bowl.

Open up your packages of Ramen Noodles. For this recipe, put the flavor packets aside. If you're making the variation, save them for the dressing. Take the noodles and place them in a gallon sized freezer zip lock bag and pound them into small pieces with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin or iron skillet or heavy book, whatever totes your goats.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Melt your butter and then add your almonds, sesame seeds, and ramen noodles.  (IMPORTANT NOTE: I seldom use the butter. I just toast my mixture in a dry hot pan, and it works fine without the fat. ALSO: Toast your stuff in stages, doing the ramen noodles first, then the almonds, and then add the sesame seeds at the end. If you put them all in at the same time, the sesame seeds will burn, the almonds will mostly burn, and the ramen will still be white. That is the voice of experience. Learn from my culinary tragedy!)

Cook the mixture over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until everything turns a nice toasty brown.  Set the crunchy mixture aside to cool.

Place 3 T of peanut butter into a glass measuring cup pour oil into the cup, right over the top of the peanut butter. Your total measurement with the peanut butter and oil should be 3/4 C. (I have also done it where I forgot about displacing the pb in the oil and I just used 3 T of pb and 3/4 cup oil, and no one but me knew the difference.)

Put the peanut butter/oil mixture into the microwave and heat it for 30 seconds. Stir it all around until the peanut butter dissolves.  (You can put this into the sauce pan and heat it there if you don't have a heat-proof measuring cup. Or if you have to do dishes by hand and don't want to wash ANOTHER thing.)

Into a medium sized sauce pan, pour the sugar, peanut butter/oil mixture, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Mix it thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Let it boil hard for one minute. Then set it aside to cool. If you do not cool the dressing first, it will wilt even the heartiest greens. You can put it in the fridge or freezer to hurry it along.

When you are ready to serve, toss the cabbage and green onions with the crunchy ramen mixture, and pour the dressing over the top to coat. Serve immediately.

VARIATION: You can use romaine lettuce if you can't get nappa cabbage. If you don't like peanut butter or are allergic, you can use regular vegetable oil and use the chicken flavor packets instead of peanut butter. You can also use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.

ONE LAST NOTE: When I make this for a large dinner or potluck (It's a Large Salad), I do mix everything together. When it's just my family or a small dinner party, I out the greens in the bowl and pass the toppings and dressing separately. This is because the crunchies will not be crunchy as leftovers, and they are very unappetizing when they are uncrunchy. This recipe makes more crunchies than people tend to put on their own salads, and less dressing than people tend to put on their own salads.